t IJ (Scharrel) IJwit

330 ml bottle. hazy orange colour. small white head. wheaty, citric taste. okay for a biobeer.

Pretty hazy light copper coloured body with a amber tint along with some gold and a super-thin white head - interesting for the style. Aroma of yeast, caramel, oranges, pears and strong malt - once again, not common for a wit. Medium-bodied; Strong yeast flavour up front with malt and wheat tucked into the taste, mostly covered up by sweetness and sugars. Aftertaste shows more yeast, sweetness, a tiny bit of spice and a coriander seed freshness. Overall, this isn’t a wit, and it’s not entirely good, but not horrible either. I like the brewery, just not this beer - I did not get this one from Holland, however, so maybe it’s been around for a while? I sampled this 33 cL bottle purchased on 12-July-2008 from Oliver’s Beverage in Albany, New York, sampled on 28-August-2008 at home in Washington.

Pale marmalade, small tight head. Big fruity and spicy aroma, lightly wheaty, some coriander and citrus - a very ’belgian ale’ feel to it though. Slightly harsh carbonation in the mouth, accentuated by the sharpness of the seemingly hallertau-like hops. Yeasty taste, even though poured with minimal yeast. Some vegetal aspect to the hops, which are pretty prominent. Closer to a belgian ale than a wit, as such. Leaves a long spiky hoppy finish, with a little bit of alcohol too. Didn’t quite do it for me, but not bad.

Pours a darkish gold with a very small head. Aroma of wheat and citrus. Flavor is slightly sweet. Nice palate.

Bottle: Cloudy yellow orange, big white head. Aroma of IJ yeast, some banana, wheat. Taste is very smooth, spicy, some banana, wheat. Full mouthfeel. On tap @ IJ brouwerij: Somewhat sweeter and a bit sour. Bottle has more flavours to uncover. Somewhat different for the style, but definitely a great, if not the best, wit.